Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)
Virginia Bluebells
$12.00
Out of stock
Size: 1-2’ tall / 1-1.5’ wide
Sun: Part Shade to Shade
Soil: Average-Rich, Medium
Bloom Time: Spring
Deer Resistance: 4.5/5
Virginia Bluebells are considered a spring ephemeral-- plants that emerge early in the spring, before deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out, and then go dormant as the canopy shade deepens, the ground dries, and the summer heat sets in.
You may not notice them as they first appear above the leaf litter; the new growth takes on a purple hue that can blend in with the ground. But as they grow, this purple turns to a vibrant, lush, bluish green. The leaves have a satisfying smooth oval shape, and the buds are pink. As the buds break, the flowers turn their famous blue and serve as an early pollinator food source. (Occasionally you will find a plant with pink flowers!) If it’s happy where it has been planted, it will self-seed and create beautiful drifts that mingle well with other shade garden plants.
As our native harbinger of spring, it is a great early food source for pollinators.